The Center on Jan. 17 announced it has received a $30,000 sponsorship gift from the Imperial Court de San Diego’s Queen Eddie Youth Fund. The donation will sponsor two apartments in The Center’s Youth Housing Project in the name of the Imperial Court.

“We have all been touched by [the] need for this project and believe so much in The Center’s solution to the problem of homelessness among our youth,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, who has served as president of the International Court Council and is now Queen Mother of the Americans, the leader of the Court system internationally.

“I am proud that the Imperial Court de San Diego has again been able to raise a significant amount of money to support such an important project in our community. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the Martinis Above Fourth annual holiday wreath fund-raiser, which brought in $24,000, and the generosity of Bob Lehman and Tom Felkner, who contributed $12,000,” said Murray-Ramirez, who is also a San Diego city commissioner. “We encourage other organizations and individuals to find out more about this amazing opportunity for our youth and make a donation to this project.”

“We are deeply honored and incredibly grateful for this generous gift,” said Delores A. Jacobs, chief executive officer of The Center. “As they have for more than three decades, the Imperial Court de San Diego has again proven its leadership and commitment to supporting a diverse range of programs, services and issues that impact our San Diego LGBT community and beyond.”

For more information on how to sponsor an apartment, purchase tiles or make a general contribution to The Center’s Youth Housing Project, please contact Jennifer Jones, The Center’s director of development, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 204 or via e-mail at jjones@thecentersd.org.

The Toni Atkins Lesbian Health Fund was established by the Imperial Court de San Diego in conjunction with The Center. Named in honor of San Diego City Councilmember Toni Atkins, the fund assists low-income lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in need of medical treatment, referrals, support, education, advocacy and guidance through the health and mental health care systems.

For more information about the fund or to request a funding application, contact Lea Burgess-Carland at (619) 692-2077 ext. 111 or lburgess-carland@thecentersd.org.

Join the Women’s Resource Center on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7:00 p.m. for its monthly film night by and about LBT women. January’s featured film is Osama, which tells the story of a 12-year-old Afghan girl and her mother as they struggle with the limitations imposed by the Taliban.

For more information, contact Lea Burgess-Carland at (619) 692-2077 ext. 111, or e-mail lburgess-carland@thecentersd.org.

The San Diego Museum of Man, in partnership with Invitrogen Corporation, a Carlsbad-based provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, has developed two new science units in its Human Lab, a major component of the popular Footsteps through Time evolution exhibit.

According to Mari Lyn Salvador, executive director of the Museum of Man, Invitrogen scientists Jon Chesnut and Peter Welch guided museum staff in selecting and designing the new interactive units, which examine the scientific method, stem cells, mitochondrial DNA and animal cloning.

In addition, Invitrogen helped fund important updates to the exhibit’s Time Tunnel, which highlights the latest technological breakthroughs.

“As a company devoted to improving the human condition, Invitrogen is passionate about corporate citizenship,” said Invitrogen’s community relations manager, Lisa Peterson. “We view the Museum of Man exhibit as an opportunity to make scientific discoveries better known to the public and help inspire young people to pursue an education and/or career in science.”

Funded with a grant from the National Science Foundation, the 7,000-square-foot Footsteps through Time exhibit is the only comprehensive human evolution exhibit on the West Coast and is a favorite with school children because of its many touchable fossil casts and stone tools.

Its five interactive galleries include exhibits Primates and Hominids; the Time Tunnel, traversing millions of years and chronicling 200 of the most significant human technological breakthroughs; the Human Lab, offering a glimpse at the future of human evolution as influenced by scientific revelations such as cloning; and the Dig Site, where visitors can roll up their sleeves and learn proper dig methods.

“The Footsteps through Time exhibit was carefully designed to involve guests and help them ponder age-old questions about time, genetics and the environment,” says Salvador. “Guests are invited to touch nearly all of its contents and to interact with its displays,” she added. “We are grateful that Invitrogen has helped us to improve this unique and important exhibit.”

The San Diego Museum of Man is an educational, nonprofit corporation founded in 1915. It is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For further information, call (619) 239-2001, or visit the Web site at www.museumofman.org.

The Center and Family Matters invite marriage equality supporters to attend a speaker’s training in partnership with CalFUN and Family Pride on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

Instructors will help GLBT parents, couples, individuals and allies learn how to better communicate their stories and the need for same-sex marriage rights to friends, family, neighbors, legislators, organizations and the media. The training is free and open to the public and includes lunch and child care.

In conjunction with the training, COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) will conduct a session for youth and adults who have GLBT parents.

To RSVP, visit www.familypride.org/california, or contact Marci Bair of Family Matters at (619) 298-5431, marci@familymatters.org.

The Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) in San Diego’s Balboa Park announced the exhibition “Rebels & Revelers: Experimental Decades, 1970s - 1980s, Gifts from the Joyce and Ted Strauss Collection.”

Featuring work from a variety of photographers, the exhibition contains more than 60 images donated to MoPA’s Permanent Collection by Southern California collectors Joyce and Ted Strauss. “Rebels & Revelers” will be on view through April 29.

Organized by Carol McCusker, MoPA’s curator of photography, the exhibition showcases images by Thomas Barrow, Barbara Kasten, John Pfahl, Jo Ann Callis, Arthur Taussig, Ivan Pinkava, Barbara DeGenevieve, Leland Rice and Ruth Thorne-Thompson, among others. The images encompass a wide range of photographic forms, including assemblage, sun prints, alternative surfaces and mixed media.

“Rebels and Revelers” highlights photography’s move beyond the traditional black-and-white documentary school of artists like Ansel Adams to more expressive, personalized imagery.

“These artists brought photography into a new artistic arena,” says McCusker. “By highlighting the camera as an expressive tool, they championed photography’s ability to represent personal iconography. These artists were influenced not only by surrealists and dadaists such as Rene Magritte or Man Ray, but also by wider mass media and pop culture, drawing inspiration from film, magazines and even billboards.”

The images presented in “Rebels & Revelers” were part of a 112-piece collection donated to the museum by Joyce and Tedd Strauss in 2005.

“The Strausses have a deep understanding of both historically significant photographers and of photographers who have yet to fully enter the ‘official’ history,” said McCusker.

Longtime photography collectors, the Strausses have donated hundreds of images in their lifetime to MoPA’s Permanent Collection. Complimentary exhibitions at MoPA include “Tell Me A Story: Narrative Photography Now” and “Woman: A Celebration.”

Visit www.mopa.org for information about exhibitions, programs and special events. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursdays until 9:00 p.m. and closed Mondays. Gallery admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students, seniors and military. Admission is free to members and children under 12. Admission is also free to the public on the second Tuesday of the month.

The Center encourages couples to attend an informational briefing on Thursday, Jan. 25, regarding new tax code changes that affect registered domestic partners in California.

The session, led by local tax attorneys Gregg St. Cyr and Larry Conway, will take place at 6:00 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

Effective Jan. 1 of this year, the earned income of registered domestic partners now qualifies as “community property.” As a result, registered domestic partners will file 2007 state tax returns as married, but continue to file federal tax returns as single. The briefing will answer participants’ questions about this change.

To RSVP for the briefing, contact Sean Wherley, The Center’s public policy director, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 212, or swherley@thecentersd.org.

Momentum San Diego and The Center invite opponents of the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to mobilize and work for its repeal at a meeting and training on Saturday, Feb. 3. The session will take place in North County at 10:30 a.m.

Three congressmembers from North County support the ban on gays, lesbians and bisexuals serving openly in the military.

To RSVP for the meeting, contact Sean Wherley, The Center’s public policy director, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 212, or swherley@thecentersd.org. Gay Men’s Relationships and Empowerment Retreat set for February

The Gay Men’s Relationships and Empowerment Retreat will take place at Angel’s Landing in Julian the weekend of Feb. 9-11.

Activities, discussions and presentations will be led by staff from the Gay Men’s Health Program at Family Health Centers of San Diego.

The free event is aimed at providing a forum that allows gay men to begin positive changes for themselves through personal and community empowerment. The retreat focuses on the dynamics of romance, socializing and partnering. It will also demonstrate different types of relationships gay men have with each other, along with health concerns, communication skills and other tools that can lead to more positive and healthy relationships.

The relaxed atmosphere and supportive environment allows stereotypes to be broken down and opens up discussion surrounding the relationship issues that really matter to gay men.

Angel’s Landing is about a two-hour drive from San Diego. Carpooling may be available. Participants are guaranteed their own bed, but will share a room with one other person. Spaces are limited and all applications will be considered. For an application, contact the Gay Men’s Health Program at (619) 515-2446, or e-mail gmhp@fhcsd.org.